Uganda has begun assessing the legal, financial, economic and security implications of ratifying a regional free movement protocol that could expand opportunities for employment, trade and investment across member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The five-day technical workshop, running from October 12 to 16 in Entebbe, is updating Uganda’s Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), a key step towards domesticating the commitments under the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is organising the workshop in collaboration with IGAD and the International Labour Organization (ILO), with funding from the European Union.
The meeting brings together 12 technical experts from government ministries and agencies, alongside a resource person from Makerere University, to examine the implications of ratification and identify measures needed to implement the protocol.
Uganda signed the protocol on May 14, 2024. The current assessment follows national consultations held in July, which produced a draft Cabinet Memorandum and a roadmap towards ratification.
Officially opening the workshop, Dr Josephine Ekwang Ali, Commissioner for Inspection and Compliance in the National Citizenship and Immigration Control department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said the assessment would help government balance the benefits of regional mobility with national interests.
“For Uganda, regional mobility presents opportunities for employment, trade, investment, education and stronger relations with our neighbours. Our responsibility is to establish how these opportunities can be realised while safeguarding national security, protecting workers and vulnerable persons, and maintaining effective public services,” she said.
Ekwang urged the experts to examine the protocol’s implications for Uganda’s laws, institutions, border operations and national budget, including labour mobility, recognition of qualifications, social security and human trafficking.
Speaking on behalf of IGAD, migration expert Agnes Igoye said member states had made significant progress towards establishing a regional free movement regime since 2017.
“Our task now is to translate these commitments into concrete national action,” Igoye said, adding that the workshop would identify policy, legal, institutional and financial gaps and clarify the resources required for implementation.
Ephrem Getnet, the ILO representative and Chief Technical Adviser for Free Movement of Persons and Transhumance in the IGAD region, commended Uganda for its commitment to regional integration and evidence-based policymaking.
He said the protocol could widen access to employment and business opportunities, improve productivity and strengthen cooperation on border security and crime prevention.
However, he stressed that realising these benefits would require effective coordination, adequate resources and safeguards for migrant workers and their families.
The updated RIA is expected to identify the preferred policy option, assess its potential benefits and risks, recommend mitigation measures and establish the responsibilities of relevant institutions.
Its key outputs will include a costed matrix outlining institutional responsibilities, a draft statement of financial implications and an action plan for completing the ratification process.
The updated assessment is scheduled for validation during a broader national stakeholder consultation on October 27–28, 2026, before further consideration by government.
The protocol forms part of IGAD’s regional integration agenda, which seeks to promote orderly migration, trade, investment and socio-economic development across member states. For Uganda, the assessment will help determine the legal changes, institutional capacity and financial commitments required to turn the regional agreement into an operational framework for cross-border movement.
Standfirst: Uganda is reviewing the legal, economic, security and financial implications of ratifying IGAD’s free movement protocol, which could expand regional employment and trade while requiring safeguards and changes to national systems.